CVS blacklists some doctors

CVS Pharmacy Inc. is notifying some physicians that it will no longer fill prescriptions they write for the strongest and most often abused narcotics, including Oxycodone.

The new policy appears to be limited to Florida, but it’s unclear what criteria CVS uses to determine which doctors can have their prescriptions filled.

“This situation highlights the lunacy we’ve gotten ourselves into; we’re talking about dangerous narcotics that are not safe as prescribed…and some pharmacies just don’t feel comfortable doing it anymore,” said Larry Golbom, a Clearwater pharmacist who hosts a radio show on prescription drug abuse.

In a prepared statement, CVS spokesman Michael DeAngelis said that the company is refusing to fill prescriptions for a “small number of Florida physicians” and is supporting measures by federal and state law enforcement officials to “keep controlled substances out of the wrong hands.”

Paul Sloan, president of the Florida Society of Pain Management Providers, sent a copy of the letter — with the doctor’s name redacted — to the news media and to state Surgeon General Frank Farmer.

Sloan said he knows of at least a dozen physicians who have received these letters from CVS in the past month and that none of them has done anything wrong.

“Legitimate patients and legitimate doctors are finding it difficult to practice medicine and get pain medications,” Sloan said.